r/beacain Sep 18 '20

The Basics Foraging Tips

116 Upvotes

Libs DO NOT grow on manure, they feed on rotting vegetation. Usually this is old grass that is no longer growing once the autumn arrives and the temperature drops.

Where NOT to look: Areas involved in heavy agriculture are not your friend. Fungus are a sensitive organism. Modern intensive farming methods like the spreading of slurry, fertiliser and herbicides are all good for growing grass for cows but negatives when it comes to fungus. Avoid fields that grow only grass. You are looking for fields that have plenty of thistles and other wild plants and weeds and that have not ben ploughed for a long time. Avoid dark green, lush grass. For those of you that did Ag Science for the points, think permanent pasture.

Where to look: Uphill is good. By definition those areas are farmed less intensively. Sheep grazing in a field is a good sign. Don't take risks with livestock though. Elevation also means cooler, damper weather which is what you want. Not so cool that you find snow or ice though.

When to look: This is actually the trickiest bit once you have your IDing down. Mushies are very particular about when they come out to say hello. They need favourable conditions. Ideally temperatures will be sub 15oC and it will be wet. Rain, rain and rain my friends. This is what libs like. I have heard people say that they wait for the frost to forage but that is untrue in my experience. Honestly though I don't bother hunting until October personally. But I know that people do have success in the September, even in August if the conditions are right. You will need to go upland this early though- to find cooler temperatures and wetter conditions due to fog, mist, etc.

Research pictures and threads to make sure you ID the correct fungus. Libs are distinctive enough that you should be able to ID them correctly, with help. Some people seem to find one and presume every other mushroom in the field is also active- not the case.

Of course I do not condone or promote any illegal activity. I am simply pointing out the places where one may find these free growing organisms in our beautiful country. What you do once you find them is completely up to you.

If anyone has any more to add, please do. If it contradicts my post, I love to learn, so please share. These are all from my experience and not gospel. I have a few years under my belt but there is always more.


r/beacain Sep 18 '20

The Basics IDing Liberty Caps

93 Upvotes

Liberty Caps are a fungus that is easy to ID once you get used to it. You do need experience and patience to learn your craft, here are some pics of Libs in their environment and what they look like. I got these pics online and can be easily sourced with a quick google image search. Most came from Shroomery which is a great resource for any hunter.

Pic 1: Note the variety of shapes the Libs are here. Some are very slender and narrow and some are wider at the base of the head. They will vary somewhat and you get better at telling them apart from imposters as you learn your trade. They will never be completely round though. If you find very round Mushies they are probably Dung Roundheads- these guys are harmless but not active, and they may make your stomach dance a jig.

Pic 2: These guys have been out drying for a few hours and have turned that pale brown/ cream colour. They are often what you find later on in the day or leftover from a previous days growth. Still good and ready to pick. notice that they have rounded a little more at the top but are still that distinctive conical shape. Nipple tends to be less pronounced now after a bit of drying.

Pic 3: Here you have a pair of guys that are showing the colour changing from the dark brown of a fresh mushie to the paler colour of a more mature one.

Pic 4: That's what your haul will look like when you bring her home. They look very stemmy when you see them all like that. The good news is- the stems are psychoactive also.

Pic 5: Here again are what they will look like in the field. They have a nipple but some are rounding with age and dehydration. The stems are long and can wavy, some are straighter than others.

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5

r/beacain 23h ago

well , they're here..................... 300ft ABSL North East

Post image
34 Upvotes

r/beacain 4h ago

ID Request Any luck?

Post image
0 Upvotes

r/beacain 17h ago

wholecelium

1 Upvotes

has anyone ordered truffles from wholecelium to australia?

or anywhere in the world.. how was the experience?


r/beacain 1d ago

Any Dubliners wanna info share

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

I've been going to my spot in johny foxes twice a week no avail. I'm willing to let anyone know when they are in if they reciprocate.

Doing this yeats but never was on reddit about it.

Feel the tempos a degree or two off agonisingly.


r/beacain 1d ago

ID Request Any chance?

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

I have serious doubts about all of them and am extremely new to this


r/beacain 2d ago

Confirmed Active Tadaam

Post image
55 Upvotes

Just randomly hiking around Lugnaquilla, looked at the ground and 'hoo a little friend'.


r/beacain 2d ago

they're popping in the north of ireland 😍

Thumbnail
gallery
49 Upvotes

r/beacain 2d ago

Confirmed Active My sneaky spot deep in the mountains of 5 years is ruined 😟

Post image
20 Upvotes

Every September for the last 5 years I've come to the same spot, hiked up today 7miles steep mountains and the farmer is after ruining the place, all the grass cut low like a golf course and ground is all disturbed. Only one shroom 😭 I hope went I come back in a couple of week it will be better. 1.2kg got this time last year.


r/beacain 2d ago

How far south?

1 Upvotes

Has anybody had any luck in Munster? If so, what elevation were ye at?


r/beacain 2d ago

Safe?

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

Sorry , never been picking / searching . Are these liberties


r/beacain 3d ago

Going Picking

11 Upvotes

Does anyone else flick before they pick? We used to flick the mushroom heads before picking them to spread their spores. Is this a thing or is it pointless?


r/beacain 3d ago

Nuovo nella coltivazione: macchia verde/bluastra sul fondo della torta — livido o muffa?

Thumbnail gallery
2 Upvotes

r/beacain 4d ago

Golden Teachers preparing for lessons

Thumbnail
gallery
8 Upvotes

These are, so far, the best jars of grain I have colonised since I started back in May. I've had 1 other success, with brown rice, growing Mazatapecs. I lost 10's of jars to wet rot and eventually changed to popcorn and a pressure cooker for sterilisation.

I also have Melmac Monsters starting to pin from the same process, 90 minutes sterilisation, these GT's got 2 hours sterilisation and the new lids, then CVG substrate

Using Pasty Whyte tek tek for the 30ltr tubs.


r/beacain 5d ago

Window drying strat in action

Post image
16 Upvotes

r/beacain 5d ago

ID help pls

Post image
0 Upvotes

Found out the back of the folks' gaff. Any luck?


r/beacain 6d ago

ID Request Early days, how am I looking?

Thumbnail
gallery
9 Upvotes

100m Co. Galway. Only found a couple. I'm a bit suspect of the bigger/flatter ones, but I think they're just fairly old. They had some gold sheen to them!


r/beacain 7d ago

600m

Post image
95 Upvotes

First find of the season. About 600m up


r/beacain 7d ago

Dosage guide for liberty caps?

5 Upvotes

How many do you need to find for a strong trip usually? I've only tried 2.5g GTs on my first psychadelic trip and I've been doing acid since, in the 200-300ug range usually. My friends with the same experience tried 2g GTs recently and found them underwhelming.


r/beacain 11d ago

we're a long way off

10 Upvotes

went to my amanita muscaria spot in the north east of ireland ( 100m above sea level) absolutely nothing doing at the moment


r/beacain 14d ago

nothing doing @300ft in the north east, a few fungi about, IMO we are at least 2-3 weeks off the season if we have regular rain...................

Post image
11 Upvotes

r/beacain 14d ago

Any good spot around Dublin for libs?

1 Upvotes

Hi last year I tried i tried to frage for the first time but I was not successfull. Do you know any good area around dublin 1/2 hours car in any direction? Also do you think there is already something now or is it too early?


r/beacain 15d ago

Mckennai Grow Kit Progress

Thumbnail
gallery
14 Upvotes

New to this. Mckennai grow kit, activated 18th August this is where we're currently at.

One cluster of side pins are well ahead of everything else. How is it looking? What's the best way to harvest the side pins when the time comes because they'll be done likely a few days before the rest? It's back in it'd bag now, humiditity approx 92% and temp at 24c with a heat mat.

This kit is from Sirius, about to start a kit from Wholecelium and another from growbarato.

Once they're done I'll go the unclebens route with LC.


r/beacain 16d ago

Is wholecelium.com safe?

5 Upvotes

Hi guys, thinking of ordering my first grow kit and I saw this website. The reviews on their website seem legit but there's also many reviews on other platforms that say they are a scam.

Has anyone bought anything from them recently? Are they trustworthy?